After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.

People concerned should quit talking and do their job so the partnership will materialise sooner. And the media should stfu cause such news ain't good for our health. Did anyone get heart attack upon hearing the news from Singapore? lol

as far as i can see from all the news reports so far.. proton and VW have actually said nothing about the talks at all… it seems the media, and 3rd parties are doing all the talking actually. The only time Vw have said something, is in the most recent release with them saying its still on so far..

I have my doubts that the Singapore report is inaccurate. I think it's very likely to be spot-on but that it's been leaked before the Govt has been able to prepare a statement. to explain away the failure to strike a deal with VW.

As for VW's statement, it's very likely to be VW's last small gesture to help the Govt buy time to come up with a good story. Afterall, since they won't be wasting good Euros on Malaysian rubbish, they can afford to be generous with a few words

Gus-Gus, but why would a "senior govt" official leak news to straits times of singapore?

none of the news wires like reuters, cnbc, bloomberg..etc. even got the story. I mean, if one wants to leak out a story like this, going straight to the wires will ensure it goes around the world a lot faster.

but thats besides the point. are you then saying that the latest report officially released from VW on bloomberg by their spokesman, a lie? I personally dont think a huge Listed Multinational Company will make such a statement to help out poor tiny old proton. Its not as simple as you put it "they can afford to be generous with a few words". Listed companies cannot simply make statements that are untrue, it can get them in serious trouble with the law.

this is so ridiculous, why can't they stick to the original deadline and get this thing over with once and for all? to me, just close the bloody p1 and sell the entire assets, including the tanjung malim plant to whoever offer the best price…i don give a damn on what happen to p1…just let us have the basic rights to own a decent car at reasonable price, e.g. camry 2.4 selling at about 90+k…that's it.

after all the on & off news about proton and VW tie up. I started to doubt Proton's sincerity in the collaboration>Please la…..if wan tie up quick quick la. Sometime say yes, sometime say no, sometime say nothing and now delaying. If don wan, make a definite decision. Don't 'Wan Yeah'(don play play in cantonese)

Hondadriver, my comments earlier were merely a statement of my doubts that the Straits Times report was made up. I speculated that there was a good chance there was some truth to the Straits Times' report.

The Bloomberg report that says that the source was a "govt official" with no mention of seniority. Also, the govt official may not have gone to the Straits Times with the info – he may have told someone "friend to friend" and that person was stringer for the Straits Times – who knows for sure.

Finally, I did not say that VW's statement was a lie. What I said was that "they could afford to be generous with a few words". VW saying that they are "still in talks with Proton on a possible strategic tie-up" is vague and doesn't confirm or deny anything about the state of the current discussions between Proton and VW. A strategic tie-up doesn't mean buying into Proton which is supposed to be the purpose of the current Proton-VW talks.

For all we know, a major tie-up – as was the original agenda – is not going ahead (for whatever reasons) and Proton, since they are already in discussions with VW, is trying to work out a deal with VW whereby VW will do something with Proton (what? I don't know since this is just speculation) in the (relative) short term without the expense and longer term commitment of VW buying into Proton.

There would certainly be something for both parties to gain or these talks would not have started in the first place.

None of us really knows what is going on so we all have our suspicions, theories and speculation. Even when there finally is an annoucement, it won't even be all the facts – just enough to play up the "feel-good" factor.

4. Say NO to relatively high price, low quality, unsafe yet stoneage Milo Tin on the Wheel car that make our life cheap on the road.

5. Say NO to NAP, Crocs, AP Kings, cronies component suppliers, etc.

6. Say NO to all these crap negos that full of foolish, no dead-line (or never met), Dr. Spin design to play-play with market share, or "dead woods" that talk only but no +ve results, or the " – ve results" is loss RM millions in a month.

Ahem ……….

1. Say YES to VW take over P1 to turn it into efficient and truely run as biz entity that make decent car, reasonably price and afforable to Bolehland folks.

2. Say YES to abolishment of NAP and other "pipelines" that suck dry every car consumers, be it buying import or local car.

Hello! you all don't be so POSITIVE lah, even if VW models are assemble in Malaysia the price would not go down further. Maybe only a few THOUSAND ringgit lower for example from RM100k became RM95K, never become 50% discount to RM50k.

First, VW models parts are imported. Second, Localising the parts might not be cheaper as you know what's protong parts are now. The only different is the TAX!

I think VW models the basic parts cost are higher than Mitsubishi models (WIRA, WAJA…) in general, whether on chassis parts or body components, therefore not much hope for price lower than current PROTONG models.

If not Victory Wanted, most likely itâ€™s going to be Gone Mad, but I doubt if Gone Mad can do anything to salvage the imminent demise of P1. What can No Ass Zero Ass do to revive P1?

In todayâ€™s auto industry, you cannot survive if you are not efficient and your products are not up to the mark, gone are those days where you can buy times to improve, P1 is still around merely because there is a visible hand supporting it, this visible hand do things against the rationality of basic economics.

P1 must be able to achieve the economy of scale and in order to do that they must be able to market their products globally because the domestic demand is not big enough. The Tanjung Malim plant is so much below optimum capacity. We the Rakyat will continue to suffer if the visible hand continues to support this inefficient entity.

I think what P1 wants to remain in control, Victory Wanted just give whatever they have to P1 as and when P1 demand, no questions asked. P1 will market their products in their name which in actual fact are those of Victory Wanted. So what the P1 wants Mat Salleh to do: just listen, do as I say.

Victory Wanted wants only the Tanjung Malim plant, they are not interested in the rotten stuff in P1. So what the Mat Salleh wants is : I donâ€™t care about your forsaken P1, I just want a decent plant to start my production, to be the base for me to make inroad into this region. I am still talking to you because it may not be viable to move my base in Tomyam Land, Haze Produced Land, Ex-Marcos Land, Kia Su Land, but donâ€™t force me to go to Hindustan Land!!!

My advice to P1 : Reduce all your car price by 10% and give 5 year WARRANTEE and FREE MAINTENANCE and FREE SERVICE. This is how you should win back your customersâ€™ confidence.

and now ladies and gentlemen, yesterday's ultimate winner out of this God-awful mess is…..(drum beats)……

Our southern brethren in the from of Temasek !!!

= on the assumption they bought proton's shares at the lowest point yesterday (rm 6.20) and then quickly sell them before the share closed at rm 6.65….what a sneaky way to make quick bucks (0.45 sen per share)

Yesterday night, i'd watch Singapore TV Channel News Asia, quoting that the talk between P1 and VW still remain! a very short statement after a very long ones briefing P1 current status…lose money, low sales volumes, lack of market oriented model and bla-bla-blaaa……. Bolehland national PRIDE !

the next story is about Nissan Japan recalling 100,000 unit of vehicle but didn't mentioned which model, its the fuel tank leaking problem, luckily there still no injury reported. the background show of clips of Nissan Japan assemblying plant…. assemblying the new X-Trail with that protuded bumper !!!!! (this means its a new video clip)

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